For the week of July 20th thru the 27th, be sure to read your Rising Sign as well:

Aries

No one is really exempt from the erratic weather the next few weeks. Things could even get a little hot under the collar. Tread lightly and avoid confrontations. Even little spats are in danger of igniting. This is not a time to be playing with fire. Take a page out of the Mercury and Mars retrograde playbook, and retreat. Avoid taking risks and keep your counsel. You’ll be fine, if you can manage that. What this week is good for: reconnecting with children and loved ones; going off track and doing something a little different; dare to allow yourself to be inspired. One thing next week’s Lunar Eclipse allows all of us the privilege to do is create positive and illuminating changes in our lives. We’re being showed alternatives. It is up to us to pick the best one for us.

Taurus

One of the keys for Taurus for the foreseeable future is to find opportunities in which you can bring yourself fan your life more in alignment with who you truly are. This may seem like a departure (at least to others) from the usual way you operate. And it may even appear to some people that you are even something of a rebel. This upcoming Lunar Eclipse may be one of those opportunities. But do be on your toes, and remain flexible as we get closer to the Full Moon Eclipse on the 27th. Due to favorable aspects early in the week, you could be lulled into a false sense of ease, and be caught off balance, as things begin to speed up. Full Moons can often be emotionally charged times. This one will be that, but will also be unpredictable. What the Mercury retrograde phase will be good for: reflecting on or reconnecting with the past, or with family; revisiting home; reorganizing your home environment; gaining insights about your early childhood and its impact on your life now.

Gemini

It is always wise to keep tabs on your ruling planet, Mercury, and its 90 day cycle. There is a rhyme and rhythm to these cycles. And understanding these rhythms can prove to be quite beneficial. Because Mercury is in the sign of Leo for its retrograde phase, you will want to pay particular attention to things like communications as well as transportation. Avoid making assumptions for the duration of the retrograde phase, paying extra attention to listening, and speaking extra clearly. Be aware that technical glitches can also lead to miscommunications and misunderstandings. What this time is good for is sorting things out, and ultimately creating greater clarity. Creating some time and space to do so will be necessary, if you can manage it. Focus on one task at a time, one day at a time. Before you know it, you will have mastered the busyness of your mind, and create order, even in cases where previously there was chaos. The zen of mindfulness is calling.

Cancer

With both the Lunar Eclipse approaching, and the station of Mercury next week, the theme is about things that you value and prioritize. Like money. This can includes anything that you consider to be important and valuable to you. One reason this may be something of an issue, is that there could be sudden changes, or perhaps there is some sort of disagreement about how money is being spent, and what it is being spent on. Another possibility, is that the upcoming eclipse is riddled with emotional impulsivity, which could lead to impetuous actions, such as buying that new mansion. Best to hold off before making any radical purchases, changes or decisions, for the landscape could change quite quickly. However this is a good time to reassess your current financial situation, even if it is as simple as reorganizing financial statements and papers, and being more consciously aware of what you are actually spending your valuable time and money on.

Leo

Leo is going to be riding the rocky Lunar Eclipse wave as well as the tricky shifts and turns of the Mercury retrograde phase, which are both emerging this week. Those Leo’s born around July 24th thru the 30th, or have 1-7º of Leo Rising, will feel the emotional Eclipse the most strongly, though all Leo’s will probably feel the energy rising as we approach the Eclipse on the 27th. It also happens that Mercury will be in its retrograde phase in your sign as well, which begins on the 25th-26th. When Mercury does this retro dance in one’s own sign, it presents as an opportunity to reacquaint you with yourself. Reflection and important insights about yourself can be made at this time, that could have a remarkable impact on your appearance and relationships with others. There are bound to be a few unexpected shifts over the next week or so. Be prepared for changes in plans, unexpected news, or the opportunity to change your mind about something. Things can shift very quickly! And there is bound to be a bit of excitability. Be flexible and patient, and willing to roll with this changing tide. There’s no telling where we’re all going to land by the end of this Summer!

Virgo

As Mercury is your ruling planet, it is always wise to keep tabs on its annual cycles, stations and phases. In this case, Mercury is urging you to slow down, retreat and take some time to reassess various elements of your life. Venus traveling in your sign is also toning down the noise, asking you to stop and smell the roses, perhaps dare to take time to feed your soul, in order to recharge your batteries. These periodic retrograde phases are essential for our mental well-being. These phases are infamous for the distractions and inconveniences that may arise in our outer lives, but it is really about what is going on in our inner lives that is important at this time. These are times for review, reflection and assimilation. And even though this could turn out to be a particularly charged week for everyone, it is all the more reason to create a space of sanctuary for yourself. Your mental and emotional (and perhaps even your physical) well being will greatly benefit if you can do so.

Libra

Venus, basking in the glow of Jupiter’s magnanimous glory, could lull you into a false sense of safety and equanimity. Which could catch you off guard as things begin to speed up next week. But that’s okay. Don’t let that stop you from taking time to put up your feet, or lounge on the beach, whenever and wherever you can. These distractions are balm for the soul, and will help to recharge your batteries as needed. The same goes for this Mercury retrograde phase we’re entering. Yes, they can be distracting, confusing and annoying at times. But they are also times in which we are being asked to retreat, slow down, and reassess our lives. Through this process, old friends may reemerge, old memories regain their foothold, and old hopes and dreams will emerge out of the woodwork. Through this process you are being asked to realign yourself with those people, those associations, groups, hopes and wishes for the future, that resonate most strongly with you.

Scorpio

Hanging out with friends and associates could lull you into a sense of ease, and well-being, that could find you imbibing in cocktails and crudités one day, and then jumping through hoops the next. It will leave you flabbergasted, wondering what just happened. That’s because the upcoming Lunar Eclipse on the 27th, will have everyone a little on edge With both Mars, and now soon to be Mercury in their retrograde phase, it might be wise to follow suit and think in terms of retreat and withdrawal, avoiding getting drawn into any potentially inflammatory situations. When both Mercury and Mars are retrograde, as they will be for the next several weeks, it is best to avoid being confrontational at all. It will lead to no good. However, what this retrograde phase of Mercury is good for is taking some time out to reassess your current responsibilities and obligations; perhaps rethink a career move, or re-explore what your goals are, what you are doing now, and what has brought you to the place you are now.

Sagittarius

Do focus on the good things that are happening over the weekend. There may be reason to be celebrating, but you don’t really need a reason. Just enjoy while you can! For there’s no telling where this week will land by the end of next week with that wild Full Moon Eclipse on the 27th. In the mean time, Mercury is slowing for its retrograde station, and we should all take a page out of his book. Although Mercury retrograde phases can be distracting and wreak havoc in our travel lives and commitments, it is also an important period for reflection, reassessment and assimilation. It allows us to review, make more sense of our lives, and put all the pieces together. For Sagittarius, this is a particularly good time to re-study a subject, re-take a course or an exam, go over a project you’ve been working on, and readdressing where you stand on an issue. Getting things sorted out in this way, helps to clear the air, and set the tone for the next several months to come.

Capricorn

Intense encounters with others can be down right transformative, allowing you to see things from another’s perspective, which in turn can change hearts and minds. Shared experiences can further deepen relationships as well. This is especially helpful when you find yourself seeing eye to eye with associates and loved ones. Meanwhile, as Mercury slows for its retrograde station, and we are moving towards next week’s Lunar Eclipse with a bit of trepidation, it is a good time to reassess your relationship to your current priorities and values. It is also a time in which you may want to reevaluate what you might want to change in your life: what are those things that are no longer serving you well, and you are better off without? One thing that the retrograde phase is very good for, is establishing better mental habits and routines that will benefit us in the long run, mentally, physically and emotionally.

Aquarius

Even though we are a week out from the Full Moon Lunar Eclipse on the 27th, Aquarius should be already feeling this one. It is a Lunar Eclipse in the early degrees and days of Aquarius, so many of you born around those days may be feeling the energy already rising. This is a very electric and statically charged Eclipse, with a number of twists and turns. This could change radically, suddenly and unexpectedly. And things could even get a little heated up. However, because of this changeable weather, it can also serve as an opportunity to create the sorts of changes you would want to see in the world, as well as in your personal life. Mars, even retrograde, traveling in your sign, brings the courage to make a statement about who you are and what you represent. However, what we need to all watch for, is the illogical emotional charge that this sort of Eclipse can bring. Best to take a page out of Mercury’s book, which will station for its retrograde phase the day before the eclipse. Step back, retreat, and reassess, before intervening. And always remember, that things may not be always what they appear to be, during these tricky retrograde periods.

Pisces

The week begins on a high note, where hearts and minds are turned in a dreamier direction. Focus on the good things, and the important people in your life, who fill your heart with gratitude and joy. This could find you drifting on a sea of enchantment, which could also leave you so distracted that you could be caught unawares, as things being to speed up over the week ahead. One way to avoid getting drawn into all of the potential chaos, is to follow Mercury, which is about to station and enter its retrograde phase. These regular periods of retreat, although annoying and distracting at best, can also be wonderful opportunities to reassess and reevaluate different departments of our lives. It is also a good opportunity to think in terms of creating better mental habits and routines that can have a more beneficial impact on our health and daily lives. Because of the reflective tendency, this can also be an opportunity to sort out our lives, our desks, our environments and our minds, in order to be more efficient and effective.